Chapter 24
“What the hell happened?”
“I don’t know, Madam Senator. The reports from the field are… confused.”
“Confused. I’ll bet. Unconfuse it. Now.”
“I’ll try, Ma’am.”
The aide wasn’t sweating, the modifications done to the human form so it could survive the imprinting relieved the need for sweating, but he certainly felt like he should be.
“The researchers report that one of the children must have woken up and…” The Aide looked uncertain, “apparently went on a rampage? Destroyed two of the reknari with a power…”
“Stop.”
The aide swallowed, wincing.
“A child.” She repeated.
“Yes Ma’am. The researchers confirm spotting him, though with bad lighting.”
“A child…” She said again, “destroyed… not one, but two, armored Breknari.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
She let out a breath, “The same Breknari we intend to deploy against this world’s top military.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
She shook her head, waving at him.
“Continue.”
“This is where things became… confusing,” her aide warned.
“Oh, the confusion wasn’t around a human child destroying our war drones? Really? This should be good.”
“I wouldn’t good. It appears that the child, or someone helping him, was capable of creating dimensional breaks.”
She snapped around to glare, “Is that confirmed?”
“Yes Ma’am. Every survivor reports the same.”
“A child. A human child, that can access the underfoam? Is that truly what you are telling me?”
“Unconfirmed, but as you say… unlikely.”
She glared, the slightly glassy look in her eyes and odd way she held herself not bothering her current company in the slightest. He just waited for her pronouncement.
“Which child?” She asked finally.
“We don’t know. The researchers are certain that most of them remained unconscious, so it’s likely that only one of the children is responsible… but…”
“We don’t know.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Put a watch on them, all of them.”
The aide nodded eagerly. “Should we bring them in again?”
“No, too many eyes on those ones for now.” She waved off that suggestion. “Observation only, find the one that did this. One of them going missing later, when it all blows over, won’t raise any eyebrows. The rest are of no consequence.”
“Of course, I’ll see to it.”
“Good. Get out.”
He fled, leaving the congresswoman alone with her thoughts.
She didn’t much like what she was thinking.
Problems are beginning to appear in the plan.
Some were predictable… The US Special Operations Forces nearly exposed us earlier, but the proposal we’ve put forward to bring them all under one single command will allow us to keep ahead of them there.
By this next time next year US SOCOM will be fully consolidated and we’ll know everything they do before they can.
This, however, this is not something so easily handled. A child with access to the underfoam… or a traitor helping the humans? Troublesome.
There was no clean answer to a problem like that. Only a hard path forward.
She pulled open a drawer, then placed her hand over a hidden sensor to unlock the hidden entrance to an underfoam container. She reached down into it, deeper than the drawer would suggest, and withdrew a communication system.
She powered it up, “This is Myankhali. I need to invoke the Trials.”
“Are you certain?” The voice was quiet, unwavering, sibilant.
“I am.”
“How far?”
“Everyone connected to the North American infiltration.”
“That includes yourself.”
“I know.”
“Very well. The investigation will be set in motion. Cause?”
“One of our research groups was attacked, their project lost. One of the attackers made use of the underfoam. Project One Three Nine Four Zero Zero One Nine Five.”
“Registered, the investigation has begun. Our discussion is complete, no further communication will be possible until you are cleared of suspicion.”
The signal went dead without further comment, leaving her in silence.
Calling in the Trials. That’s the luck of the damned to be sure, but it had to be done.
*****
Seb lay in his bed, reading, trying not to get his mother’s attention.
For the moment his mother’s temper had receded, it seemed, but he knew well enough that it was only an ebb tide. He was grounded for the foreseeable future, but there wasn’t much he could do running around anyway, the night before aside.
He understood her anger, of course. Being out late, long past the time the streetlights turned on, was guaranteed to get a rise out of almost any parent these days. He’d never done that to her in his first life… he wished he could believe that he wouldn’t do it again in this one.
Probably a vain hope.
She deserved better than he was going to put her through.
A knock on the door of his room startled him, and he looked over to see his mother looking in.
“I’m still angry,” She said tersely, taking a breath. “But this came for you today.”
Seb frowned, sitting upright in the bed and putting his feet over the edge. He hopped down and walked over, accepting the letter from her.
“I recognized the return address, and it looked different than the others you received.”
Seb stared, his mother wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t one of his self addressed, postage paid, return envelopes. Nor was it a simple letter that would likely contain a rejection, but it came from one of the publishing houses he’d sent his manuscripts off to.
Seb frowned, opening it without pausing. He blinked as he pulled the papers out, glancing at the note attached to the front with a paper clip.
Congratulations, Mr Parker. Your novel manuscript ‘Of Capes and Starships’ has been accepted for publication. Please see and review the attached contract and call my contact number when you’re ready. - Madeleine Dufrense, Arquibus Publishing House.
He felt his wearable buzz, signifying a message from Al, an Seb discreetly snuck a peak at the computer screen hidden from his mother.
Congratulations, you’ve leveled up.
END BOOK ONE